Education secretary Justine Greening has promised there will be no budget cuts to Ilford North schools, despite headteachers’ claims they are already in “crisis”.

Ms Greening visited Gants Hill to support Conservative candidate Lee Scott, and gave an exclusive interview to the Recorder.

She said Ilford North schools were already “bearing the fruit” under Conservative leadership and that the UK has world class standards and better GCSE marks as a result.

“No school will see a reduction in Ilford North, furthermore we are investing an extra £1billion (in to schools in the UK),” she said.

“The promise made by Labour are not worth the paper they are written on and they are making promises that they can’t deliver.”

However Labour candidate Wes Streeting however branded Ms Greening’s claims as “untrue”.

He said: “I think it is very telling that when the education secretary came to Ilford North she didn’t meet any headteachers who are already facing budget cuts.”

Last month nine Redbridge headteachers told the Recorder that they may be forced to cut arts and languages classes as the schools’ funding was at “crisis point”.

Mr Streeting continued: “The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has pulled apart the Conservative manifesto and has laid bare that schools will face budget cuts in real terms.

“Justine Greening and Lee Scott are trying to pull the wool over eyes.”

According to the website schoolcuts.org, schools in Redbridge will lose £15 milllion under the new funding formula, which was introduced by Ms Greening to ensure funding is evenly distributed across the UK.

The education secretary disputed the figures on the website and categorically stated that Ilford North schools will not see their budgets cut.

Conservative candidate Lee Scott also made this pledge and added: “We are seeing Labour scare mongering and that is not right.”

See the full story in next week’s Ilford Recorder.